It can be hard to maintain a friendship with someone you’ve previously had an intimate relationship with – here is what 5 stars have to say on the subject of staying friends with exes. Some believe it’s a great idea because you already know the person very well and that can change into a wonderful friendship, while others are more skeptical or need some time in between the relationship before they try to be just friends with someone. Some are even supportive of their ex and their new partner, showing exactly how a good breakup can actually work out in the end.

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bon says he’ll always be friends with ex-wife Angelina Jolie: “Absolutely we’re friends. We’ve always been friends. See in the press ladies and gentleman sometimes if you get a divorce everyone assumes it was nasty and it’s not always. It’s not that I haven’t had a couple of nasty ones, but this was not one of them. I’m proud of the way she’s handled having a family. She’s great for Brad, Brad’s great for her. I support them 100 per cent. Angie is a little girl and a woman and a teenager and a ghost all wrapped up in one.”

Rachel McAdams

Rachel believes being friends with exes is important: ”Am I still friends with my old boyfriends? Yes, absolutely. There’s no one who’s ever been significantly in my life for whom I don’t have a sort of tenderness because they helped to shape who I am. However long someone is in your life, they’re there to teach us something and I try to make the most of any relationship.”

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew doesn’t want to forget his relationships but he hopes he can still be friends with those he’s been with: “I just don’t know how to put Wite-Out (correcting fluid) over that period in my life. No one was lying during that time, it just didn’t work out. So hopefully you’re going to be inviting me to your wedding and I’m going to invite you to mine.”

Elijah Wood

Elijah does like to be friends with his exes, but he needs time to heal first: “I find it really difficult to be friends with my ex-girlfriends immediately. I always felt like I need at least six months to a year of time away – it’s not a harsh thing, it’s just about being able to differentiate between the relationship as a romantic one and your time as friends and re-establishing the friendship.”

Demi Lovato

Demi is still friends with ex-boyfriend Joe Jonas even after their relationship ended: “Well. we started off as best friends and then we took it to the next level and it didn’t work out. It wasn’t meant to be but we’re back to being best friends.”